Wonderful Tonight
by quistie64
Summary: One-shot songfic of Eric Clapton's classic, "Wonderful Tonight."  100% cheesy, fluffy Charah goodness.


**A/N: I heard this song on the radio the other day (I'm old and listen to classic rock stations) and it made me think of Chuck and Sarah. Usually songs will inspire a story, but in this case, the song tells the story, I just added some embellishments. If you don't know **_**Wonderful Tonight,**_** written and sung by the great Eric Clapton, our education system has failed you utterly. Go to iTunes and download it from the album **_**Slowhand**_**. Don't believe me? Go to YouTube right now and watch a live version. Waiting… Good. Welcome back. See what I mean?**

_**Wonderful Tonight**_

**By Eric Clapton**

**It's late in the evening; she's wondering what clothes to wear.  
>She puts on her make-up and brushes her long blonde hair.<br>And then she asks me, "Do I look alright?"  
>And I say, "Yes, you look wonderful tonight."<strong>

The lamps on the nightstands bathed the bedroom in a soft, yellow hue. Chuck was dressed in his suit slacks, dress shirt and tie. He was ready to go, save slipping into his suit coat. He leaned against the bedroom doorframe and watched silently as his wife stood in their closet wearing nothing but panties and a bra. He couldn't see her face, but he was sure she was lost in thought, trying to figure out what to wear. He walked around the end of the bed and resumed the same stance he had before, only this time he leaned against the doorframe of the closet.

She turned to him when she heard him approach. Her brows knit together as she looked up at him and said, "I don't know what to wear."

He wiggled his eyebrows and said in a husky voice, "I like what you're wearing right now." She gave him a smirk.

"Seriously, Chuck, I want to look nice, but I'm stumped," Sarah huffed.

"I wish you still had that purple number you wore to your reunion a few years ago," he said with a grin.

"Yeah," she replied ruefully, "sadly that dress had to be 'retired' after the abuse it took."

He moved all the way into the closet and stood behind her. He put his arms around her waist and pulled her close to him as he whispered into her ear, "Yes, but you were crowned queen of the reunion, even if you were soaking wet."

She chuckled. "Don't remind me," she sighed as she turned around in his arms to face him. She looked him in the eyes and said, "I don't mind going to your reunion with you, but please don't make me ever go back to one of mine. Sarah Bartowski never wants to be Jenny Burton ever again. Deal?"

"Deal," he said as he kissed her. When their kiss finished, he said, "Let's find something for you to wear, shall we?" He looked to the very end of the section of the closet where her clothes hung and said, "Now where did this come from?" He grabbed a hanger and pulled an elegant sapphire blue silk dress away from the rest of the clothes.

"Chuck, it's beautiful," she breathed. "Where did it come from?"

"Oh, I picked it up, you know, around," he waved his hand dismissively. He didn't want to tell her that he and Ellie had spent nearly a whole day shopping up and down Rodeo Drive looking for the perfect dress.

"Well, it doesn't matter where it came from. I love it. Thank you." Her eyes danced as she gave him another kiss.

"You're very welcome. Now you finish getting ready. We have to leave in a few minutes."

"Yes, sir," she teased.

He grinned, lightly touched his forefinger to her nose and then left her to get ready.

He stood in the living room, looking down at a gaming magazine, patiently waiting as he heard her pad from the bedroom to the bathroom. He recognized the cacophony of sounds that always accompanied her whenever she prepared to go out: hairbrush being put back into place, makeup being used and then replaced into her makeup bag. Another minute passed and then he heard the click of her heels as she walked down the hall. She rounded the corner, stopped and stood next to the table and waited.

He looked up from his magazine and his eyes took her in. The only sound he heard was that of the magazine hitting the floor where it had slipped out of his hands. She was a vision. The blue dress hugged her form to her waist where the skirt then cascaded down over her hips and ended just above the knee. The blue of the dress matched the blue of her eyes. Her beautiful blonde hair was down and covered her shoulders in soft curls. She wore silver high heels and clutched a small matching silver purse. The diamond solitaire necklace Chuck gave her for their first wedding anniversary twinkled and sparkled from where it rested on her chest. The diamond earrings he had given her for their second anniversary sparkled brilliantly as if they were in competition with the necklace. Not to be outdone, the diamond on her left hand flashed light in a million different directions. Not even the diamonds could outshine the brilliance in her eyes.

She twirled around once, the skirt of the dress flared out as she spun. "Do I look alright?" she asked, her eyes danced in response to the gobsmacked look on Chuck's face.

"Yes, you look wonderful tonight," he was able to croak. God, she was beautiful.

"Good," she flashed a grin as she walked over to where Chuck's suit coat laid over the back of the couch. "I want you to be proud of me when we go to your reunion tonight," she said as she held Chuck's coat and helped him slip it on.

He turned around and put his hands around her lower back. "I'm always proud of you," he replied, his voice thick with emotion. He leaned in and gave her a soft, gentle kiss. She moved a hand to his face and returned the kiss with the same tenderness. They lingered in the comfort of the kiss. There was no urgency in it, only serenity. When their lips parted, he recovered slightly and whispered, "You know, we could just stay home and skip this whole thing." He wiggled his eyebrows at her again.

She gave him a swift kiss and answered, "No way, Chuck. You made me go to my reunion five years ago. Now I'm going to make you go to yours. Besides, Morgan and Alex will be there and they will never forgive us if we stand them up."

He sighed, "You're right." Part of him dreaded going. He was not looking forward to seeing the people who had teased him for being a nerd or shunned him when his father left. But the other part of him wanted to go and show off his wife. They would see that she wasn't just gorgeous, but also a wonderful mixture of smart, funny, sophisticated, elegant and nerdy.

He grabbed her wrap and carefully placed it around her shoulders. "Can we stop by Ellie and Devon's to check on Emma before we go?" Sarah nearly pleaded.

Chuck checked his watch and replied, "I'm sure she's asleep. She's fine. We'll see her in the morning." She nodded, and he gave her a comforting kiss on the temple. He knew how hard it was for her to leave their four-month-old daughter. "I know Clara is thrilled to get to share her room with her cousin. I heard her bragging to Ellie about how Baby Emma has to sleep in the crib while she gets to sleep in a big girl bed." He smiled at the memory of Clara's face shining with pride at being such a big girl.

"Ellie and Devon are going to have their hands full with her, aren't they," Sarah chuckled. Clara had already begun to exhibit both her mother's beauty and strong personality.

"Yes, well. There's a good chance our little Emma will be heartbreaker, too," he replied. Emma had stolen his heart the moment she was born. He could tell she was going to be a carbon copy of Sarah, including her blue eyes.

**We go to a party and everyone turns to see  
>This beautiful lady that's walking around with me.<br>And then she asks me, "Do you feel alright?"  
>And I say, "Yes, I feel wonderful tonight."<strong>

Chuck stopped the Lotus Evora in front of the Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel, opened his door and accepted the ticket offered him by the valet. He quickly walked around the front of the car and reached Sarah's door and grabbed the handle before the second valet could do so. He opened her door and offered his hand for her to grab to help her out of the car. She smiled up at Chuck, accepted his proffered hand and gracefully exited the car. Never letting go of her hand, he tucked it into the crook of his elbow and covered her hand with his own. They left two staring valets, jaws dropped in awe, in their wake.

They strolled through the lobby, their shoes silent in the thick, plush carpet. Sarah glanced around at the high ceiling and huge windows. It was dark out, but she knew that the ocean was just on the other side of the windows. They followed the signs that directed them to the James K. Polk High School Class of 1998 15 Year Reunion. She peeked over at Chuck and saw the tension in his face. She gave his arm a comforting squeeze and smiled at him. He gazed back at her and his face relaxed as a smile spread across it.

"I won't know anyone here tonight, Chuck, except for Morgan and Alex. Is it okay if I stay close to you?" she asked.

His smile widened and the relief was evident in his eyes. "I would prefer it if you never left my side. Ever."

She responded with a wink and another squeeze of his arm.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

They approached the room where the reunion was being held. Just outside the open doors stood a table covered with preprinted nametags. There were two brunette women standing behind table, greeting reunion attendees as they arrived. Chuck scanned the table and found their nametags. He handed Sarah's to her. She peeled off the backing and stuck it carefully to her dress. The first line of the tag read, "Sarah Bartowski." Under her name were the words, "Spouse of Chuck Bartowski."

"I guess they don't want me to pass myself off as a Polk High alum, huh?" she teased.

"They should be so lucky," he grinned back at her as he peeled the backing off of his own nametag. Sarah grabbed the nametag from him and placed it on his coat lapel, smoothing her hand over his chest. Their eyes locked.

"Chuck? Chuck Bartowski?" one of the brunettes asked loudly, her eyes wide in recognition. He pulled his eyes away from his wife and plastered on a fake smile as he turned his head toward the voice. He recognized the nasally, irritating voice that had tormented him all through high school. "Hey, if it isn't Janice Litman?" He squinted at the nametag and corrected himself, "Or should I say, 'Hosenstein'? So you and Gary Hosenstein got married?" he asked.

"Yeah, but we got divorced a few years ago. He turned out to be a real wank. Now I'm single and ready to mingle, hahahahaha," she laughed, which to Chuck sounded more like honking. Sarah's eyes grew wide at the sound.

Janice openly eyed Chuck up and down. "You're looking good, Chuckie," she said in a husky, yet still nasally, voice.

Chuck felt Sarah tense next to him. He pointed to Sarah and said quickly, "Hey, Janice. I'd like to introduce you to my wife, Sarah."

Janice tore her eyes away from Chuck to appraise her "competition". Janice took one look at Sarah and her laser "don't even think about it" glare and knew she had no chance with him. Her face fell a little and she shook the tall blonde woman's hand.

"So nice to meet you," Sarah purred. "Chuck, honey, shouldn't we go inside?" she said sweetly, turning to Chuck.

He jumped nervously and said quickly, "Yes, we should." He turned to Janice and said with as much sincerity as he could muster, "Nice to see you again, Janice." He turned back to Sarah and placed his hand on the small of her back to guide her through the open doors.

"Well, that was interesting," Sarah smirked.

"Yeah," Chuck answered. "I have no idea what that was about."

She snorted as if she didn't believe him, but when she looked into his face, she knew he was genuinely surprised by Janice's reaction to him. Sarah wasn't surprised at all. _Brunettes_. She put her game face on.

They entered the ballroom, stopped just inside the doors and took in the scene. Round tables were set up around the room with a wooden dance floor in the center. Bunches of balloons were tethered to backs of chairs strategically placed throughout the room. Music thumped in the background. Chuck sighed in relief when he saw there were no giant senior pictures hung around the room like there had been at Sarah's reunion. His senior portrait was the epitome of awkward. Ellie had been unsuccessful in convincing him to cut his hair for the picture. So his portrait consisted of a bushy mass of out of control curls and a crooked, unsure smile.

He instinctively grabbed for Sarah's hand and was comforted when she laced her fingers through his.

They moved further into the room, idly glancing around. Chuck was suddenly aware that nearly everyone in the room was looking at them. Well, truth be told, he knew they were all looking at Sarah. He heard murmurs of "Chuck Bartowski" and "incredible blonde" as they moved about the room. If the buzz that followed them bothered Sarah, she gave no indication. She kept her fingers securely entwined with Chuck's, giving no hint of letting go of him.

A man a little shorter than Sarah with sandy blond hair and an easy smile approached them. He held out his hand toward Chuck and greeted, "Chuck! It's good to see you!"

A genuine smile spread across Chuck's face. "Todd Murphy!" Chuck grabbed Todd's hand and shook it enthusiastically. "It's great to see you, too." He turned to Sarah and said, "Sarah, this is my old friend, Todd. We worked on the AV squad together." He looked at Todd and said proudly, "Todd, this is my wife, Sarah."

She shook Todd's hand warmly and said, "It's so nice to meet you. AV squad, huh? Cool."

Todd grimaced, "Yeah, we were the cool kids, alright." Chuck leaned his head down to catch what Todd said when he stepped closer to Chuck and mumbled under his breath, "Is this really your wife, Chuck? I mean, wow!"

Sarah heard every word Todd said and could only roll her eyes. It never stopped. She had seen herself with Chuck since the first day they met at the Buy More all those years ago. How come no one else saw it? She huffed a little in frustration.

"Yes, she is and I'm the luckiest guy on the planet," he replied to Todd in a stage whisper to ensure that Sarah heard every word he said. Chuck straightened up and gave Sarah a kiss on the cheek. She grinned up at him.

Sarah really wanted to change the subject, so she asked, "So, Todd, what do you do for a living?"

"I'm a sales associate for the Jaguar dealership in Woodland Hills. It's a fancy way of saying I sell cars," Todd laughed. "What do you do, Chuck?"

"I own a software development company in Burbank. Mostly security, encryption, stuff like that." Both Chuck and Sarah were thrilled when they were finally able to talk Beckman into giving Chuck a new cover. They convinced her that a married man with a Stanford degree was not likely to work at the Buy More forever. So the CIA set up this company for him. It was a real company and he did do work in between missions.

Todd nodded and smiled. "That's great, Chuck!" He turned his attention back to Sarah. "What about you, Sarah? What do you do?"

"I'm taking a year leave of absence from my job. Chuck and I have a four-month-old daughter. I went out for the regular amount of maternity leave, but when it was time to go back to work, I just couldn't leave her. So I'm staying home with her right now." Sarah resisted the urge to whip out her iPhone and show Todd the hundreds of pictures of Emma it held.

Chuck was proud of Sarah's decision to take a year off from the CIA. He was thrilled when her maternal instincts kicked in with a vengeance when Emma was born. Any questions she had about herself and her ability to be a good mother were quickly and resoundingly answered. He didn't know what she would do when her year leave of absence was over. If she decided to stay home with Emma full time, he would be delighted. They had already started discussing the idea of another baby in the future, so he wouldn't be surprised if she didn't go back to work for awhile. Regardless, he would support her in any decision she made since all he wanted was her happiness.

"What about you, Todd?" Chuck asked. "Married?"

Todd shook his head. "No, haven't found the right woman yet." He cut his eyes to Sarah and asked, "You don't happen to have a sister, do you?"

She laughed. "Sorry. Only child."

"Well, what's the harm in asking?" he shrugged. "Well, it was good seeing you, again, Chuck and meeting you, Sarah. I'm off to mingle some more."

They watched Todd head for another group of people when Sarah leaned into Chuck and said in his ear, "How come no one seems to believe I'm your wife?"

Chuck smiled and answered in her ear, "Because they don't think a nerd like me could ever marry a woman like you."

"What? Why?" She was truly mystified. They clearly didn't understand what a wonderful man he was.

"Have you seen you?" he replied, his eyes dancing. She smirked and gave him a light slap on the chest.

"Hey, no injuring my main man, there Sarah," Morgan said as he and Alex walked up holding hands. They greeted each other with hugs. "So, you two made it," Chuck said. "I was thinking you stood us up."

Morgan and Alex peeked at each other, both faces beginning to blush.

Sarah leaned up to Chuck and whispered in his ear, "I think the newlyweds got a little…distracted…before they arrived." She glanced back at Morgan and Alex, who managed to somehow turn a deeper shade of crimson.

Chuck gave a small jolt and coughed. Sarah simply giggled.

"Champagne!" Morgan cried, changing the subject. "Who wants some champagne?"

"None for us, thanks," Chuck replied. Sarah stopped drinking alcohol when she was pregnant with Emma and he had done so as well in solidarity with his wife.

Sarah turned to Chuck and said, "Chuck, you're so sweet to give up alcohol along with me, but tonight is a special occasion and if you would like to have some champagne with our friends, it's okay with me."

"Really? Are you sure?" he asked.

"Of course. But you have to dance with me at the next slow dance," she winked.

He bowed dramatically and said, "As you wish."

**I feel wonderful because I see  
>The love light in your eyes.<br>And the wonder of it all  
>Is that you just don't realize how much I love you.<strong>

The music slowed. Chuck and Morgan led their wives onto the dance floor and took them in their arms.

Chuck and Sarah swayed to the music, holding each other close. Sarah looked into Chuck's eyes and asked, "Do you feel alright?"

He answered, "Yes, I feel wonderful tonight." He gazed deep into her eyes and with his heart overflowing he breathed, "I feel wonderful because I see the love light in your eyes. And the wonder of it all is that you just don't realize how much I love you." He kissed her lips lightly, her eyes glistening. She blinked a couple of times trying to keep the tears at bay but was unsuccessful when one slipped down her cheek. He moved his hand to her face and wiped the tear away with his thumb. He pulled her closer as the music surrounded them and the world drifted away.

**It's time to go home now and I've got an aching head,  
>So I give her the car keys and she helps me to bed.<br>And then I tell her, as I turn out the light,  
>I say, "My darling, you were wonderful tonight.<br>Oh my darling, you were wonderful tonight."**

It was time to go home. It had been an enjoyable night, overall, although Sarah grew tired of the seemingly endless stream of people asking Chuck if she was really his wife and the continual nerd jokes. She loved her nerd and by the end of the evening, everyone in the room was convinced that she was indeed his wife. They could tell simply by the look of love and pride written on her face whenever she gazed at him.

They said their goodbyes to Morgan and Alex and left the room hand in hand. They made their way back to the valet stand at the front of the hotel. Chuck handed the ticket to the valet who grabbed the keys and ran off the retrieve the Lotus. The car roared to a stop in front of them. The valet switched off the car and handed the keys to Chuck who immediately took them and gave them to Sarah. She tipped the valet and sat down in the driver's seat. Chuck flopped down in the passenger seat and rested his head against the headrest, his eyes closed. She started the car and pulled out into traffic.

She said nothing, her silence a question.

He answered her unspoken question, "I've got an aching head."

She smiled and asked, "Too much champagne?"

He shrugged and nodded sheepishly. "It has been a long time since I've had any. And it was just a lot of people, you know? It all started to give me a headache after awhile."

"That's okay, sweetie. You take it easy and I'll get us home." She was silent for a moment and then said, "I've forgotten how much fun this car is to drive," she said, downshifting as they hit a patch of traffic. "The Range Rover is really great and is a must with Emma's car seat, but…" she stopped when she noticed Chuck's head lolling against the headrest. She shifted up as she accelerated down the freeway, quietly humming _You're Still the One_ by Shania Twain, the first song they had slow danced to tonight.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sarah gently shook Chuck's shoulder attempting to wake him up. He jerked when he woke up, his eyes darting around the car, trying to orient himself. His eyes landed on Sarah and he smiled. "I guess I fell asleep," he said in a drowsy voice. His eyes closed again and leaned his head back against the headrest.

"Yes, you did. I need you to get out of the car. I'm not going to sit out here with you and watch you sleep like I do when Emma falls asleep in her car seat," she said as she unbuckled his seatbelt. She got out of the car and circled to Chuck's side of the car and opened the door. She grabbed his hand and gave it a pull. He was dead weight.

A wicked grin crossed her face. She leaned forward and put her mouth by his ear. She pursed her lips and blew gently in his ear. His eyes flew open and he shot straight up in his seat.

"Heyo, I'm awake!" He relaxed his body a little and grinned at her. "You fight dirty, Mrs. Bartowski."

"I'm just trying to get you in bed, Mr. Bartowski," she purred. She took him by the hand again and pulled, this time successfully getting him up from his seat. He closed the door and Sarah set the alarm.

They walked arms around each other's waists through the archway, past the fountain and to the apartment door. She unlocked the door and they entered the apartment together, still arms around waists. They went directly into their room and shut the door. Chuck was still a little groggy from his nap in the car and sat down heavily on the bed. Sarah smiled as she slipped his arms out of his coat and pulled off his tie. She unbuttoned the cuffs and the first three buttons of his dress shirt and then said quietly, "Arms up."

Chuck obeyed and raised his arms straight up while she pulled the shirt off over his head. She knelt down on the floor, untied his shoes and pulled them off, tossing them to the side of the room. She unbuckled his belt and said, "Okay, sweetie, I need you to stand up and take your pants off while I pull the covers back."

He stood and complied, all the while giving Sarah a saucy smile. She rolled her eyes and when the covers were back, gave a gentle shove to his chest. He bounced back down on the bed and swung his feet under the covers. She pulled the covers up over him and moved to her side of the bed. She slipped out of her shoes and dress and crawled into bed next to him. She scooted close to him and snuggled into her favorite sleeping position. His arm around her, she rested her head on his shoulder, her leg thrown over his, her hand resting on his chest. He reached over to the lamp and turned off the light, gave her a kiss on the top of her head and murmured, "My darling, you were wonderful tonight."


End file.
